


We Always Have (And Always Will)

by kaleidobubble



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Brief Vomiting, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fever, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Lie Ren Needs a Hug, Married Life, Nightmares, Post-Canon, Sickfic, ugh these kids love eachother so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23726323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidobubble/pseuds/kaleidobubble
Summary: On the day of his and Nora's first wedding anniversary, Ren falls ill.It turns out to be a much rougher day than the two expected, but they take care of each other and tackle it together. Just like they do everything else.Takes place a few years Post-Canon
Relationships: Lie Ren & Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie
Comments: 12
Kudos: 51





	We Always Have (And Always Will)

**Author's Note:**

> The inspiration for this little piece came to me after rewatching some RWBY chibi episodes. Because as hilariously terrifying as Yandre Nurse Nora is, actual Nora is here to give our Ren the tlc he needs. (Especially with all that cannon’s been putting him through lately. RT u better have a good explanation for this, just please let them be happyyy...or is that hypocritical of me considering this has a considerable serving of angst?) Anyway, hope you enjoy!

The tell-tale sizzle of pancake batter meeting hot oil cut through the stillness of the early morning quiet in their little Mistralian apartment. Ren meticulously measured each scoop of batter, careful not to spill any as he poured the goopy mixture onto the griddle.

Next to him, Nora watched from her seat on the countertop, humming idly to herself as she happily swung her feet to the imaginary tune.

Ren stood hovering over the stove, watching the circular blobs of batter, waiting for them to bubble and signal they were ready to be flipped. Stifling a yawn, he rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to clear some of the residual fogginess blurring the corners of his vision and tugging at his concentration.

They'd just come home from a three-week-long mission the night before, and Ren wanted nothing more than to bury his head back under the covers and sleep past noon. 

He wasn’t particularly hungry, especially not for a heaping pile of pancakes that were soon to surely be drenched in sugary syrup, but today was special. It was their one year anniversary, and of course, Nora wanted pancakes to celebrate. 

In fact, she’d had the entire day planned out for them: pancakes for breakfast, a trip to the zoo to see the baby sloths, seeing the new action-thriller movie, and then a stop by that bookshop Ren had been wanting to check out for ages.

She’d been so excited when she woke him up, her radiant, megawatt smile brightening up her lovely face in that way that always made her so nearly impossible to refuse. So far be it from him to deny her.

When he noticed bubbles beginning to surface, Ren expertly flipped his first pancake over and was shocked to find it nearly burnt. The surface was a dark, ashy-brown color with a black char creeping around the edges. 

Ren blinked. He hadn't burned a pancake (at least without it being in some large part a fault of Nora’s) in years. How was this possible? He hadn’t taken his eyes off of the stove for a second. And after all these years making breakfast for Nora and himself, pancake making was only second to wielding StormFlower on the list of things he could do in his sleep. 

He shook his head and quickly flipped the rest of the pancakes, relieved to find that they were perfectly fine, if a couple shades darker than their typical golden color.

As he plated their breakfast, he felt Nora’s eyes on him and couldn’t help but smile inwardly despite himself. 

He may be drowsy and sore and a little grumpy, but this was far from what he’d consider a bad start to his morning. And Nora was happy. And wasn’t there some Mistralian saying about how a happy wife meant a happy-

“Ren, are you okay?” Nora’s voice interrupted his musing.

He turned to see her turquoise eyes peering at him worriedly. Her head tilted inquisitively, and her voice now laced with an edge of concern. “You don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine,” he assured her, but it came out gravelly and hoarse. He swiftly cleared his throat. 

It was true, he had been feeling a bit off since he’d woken up this morning, but a slight headache was all it was. Ren had chalked it up to lack of sleep. It was fine. He’d take a nap later. There was no use in worrying Nora over it. 

He turned to place a steaming plate of pancakes on the table, but as he did so, the corner of the counter jabbed sharply into his side. He gave a brief, uncharacteristic yelp of pain and surprise. Has that always been there?

Behind him, Nora winced in sympathy. “You sure?” 

Ren shook his head as he massaged his bruised side with his free hand. His mind was still hazy. He must not be fully awake. 

“Yeah. Still waking up I suppose,” he mumbled.

But as he began making his way to the table, he somehow managed to end up stumbling over his own feet. As he fell, his brain fired an onslaught of impulses warning him to catch his balance, but the rest of his body didn't seem to register the message. His limbs felt heavy and sluggish and failed to cooperate.

Before he could go crashing to the ground in a mess of tables, chairs, and pancakes however, a pink-gloved hand shot out to steady him.

“Uh-huh,” his partner’s voice rang distantly in his ears. Why did she sound so far away? 

He felt her take the plate, miraculously still holding all of its pancakes, from his hand and set it safely on the table before her fingers pressed against his forehead.

“‘Still waking up' my hammer,” she grumbled. “You’re burning up. Alright, let's get you to bed. Come on.”

\------

The sound of chirping birds pulled Ren from his dreamless slumber. As he awoke, he found that he was still laying on his back, and there was something cold and damp draped across his forehead. Slowly peeling his eyes open, he reached up a hand to find that it was only the cold compress Nora had given him before he went to sleep. 

Shivering under the thin duvet, he stared blankly up at the ceiling as an incessant throbbing began in the back of his head. He’d been laying in bed for how long now? An hour? Two? Five? A day?

The clock mounted on the wall told him it was nearly noon, but the ache settling deep into his bones made him feel as though he hadn’t moved a muscle in a hundred years.

When Nora promptly ushered him back to their room that morning and all but carried him back to bed, he’d been certain that all he needed was a little more sleep before he got back on his feet, ready to start the day.

His immune system, it seemed, had other plans. Because despite having slept at least three more hours, he didn't feel any better than he had that morning. Rather he was, to put it quite simply, utterly and totally miserable.

Not only was he restless, but his mouth felt like sandpaper and each breath he took scraped raw and unforgivingly against the walls of his throat. 

And now, an invisible band appeared to be slowly but surely tightening itself around his head, intent on constricting his brain until his pulse hammered angrily at his temples, ready to explode.

To make matters worse, sunlight filtered in through the window he'd opened a few hours earlier, in hopes that some fresh air would do him well, but the light only glared into his eyes and aggravated his headache. 

Ren attempted to roll onto his side to avoid the assault of sunshine but only succeeded in fumbling around and making himself even more uncomfortable. 

Another chill ran up his spine and he trembled involuntarily, a cold sweat beginning at the back of his neck.

With a resigned, frustrated sigh, he squeezed his eyes shut instead. Which ended up being even more counterproductive, because, for all of the sunshine it blocked from his vision, the added strain spurred his headache on even further.

Just then, the sound of the door creaking open fell on his ears, sending another wave of pain pounding through his skull. He grimaced. Gods, he was going to lose it.

But then light, hesitant footsteps padded into the room until his eyes opened and fell on Nora. Her eyes held their usual vibrant twinkle, though he noticed her typical cheery demeanor was slightly subdued.

The tension in the back of his head dulled just a little at the sight of her.

When their eyes met, she gave him a small, almost shy, little smile.

"You're awake."

He wanted to give some deadpanned response that would make her laugh. To roll his eyes fondly and say something like, "So it seems." or "Really? I hadn't noticed." 

But his throat was far too sore to make a reply and as was often the case, it didn't seem that she expected him to.

Instead, her gaze shifted to the open window, and as if reading his mind, she immediately reached over to twist the blinds shut before crossing the room to sit at his bedside, a steaming cup of tea in hand.

Then, she helped him sit up, removing the cold compress from earlier, before gingerly lifting the cup to his lips. The familiar blend of herbs and spices spread a warm, calming sensation through him, blanketing his senses and instantly soothing his throat.

"How're you feeling?" Her voice was gentle and quiet and her thin brows drew together softly with concern. Some would be shocked to know just how delicate the hyperactive red-head could be when the situation called for it.

"Awful," he answered honestly.

Nora frowned but remained silent. It seemed that any scolding she had lined up for him about pushing himself too hard and not immediately telling her when he wasn’t feeling well had been put on hold until he was feeling better.

Instead, she set the cup down on the nightstand and asked, "Do you want anything? Maybe something to eat?" 

Earlier, when Nora had suggested eating breakfast in bed before he went back to sleep, the idea of food, let alone syrupy pancakes, caused Ren’s stomach to launch into a series of acrobatic flips that he wasn't sure even he was capable of. So he regretfully told her no.

Rather than looking disappointed that they wouldn’t be having breakfast together however, his ever-optimistic wife simply nodded understandingly and hurried off to the kitchen, to brew a cup of tea to help him sleep. 

But now, he hadn’t eaten anything all day and it was clear she was getting worried.

"Ren, you've gotta get some food in you or your gonna get even sicker.” It wasn’t an order, he could still decline if he wanted to, but the twist of her lips into a tight line told him just how anxious she was.

Ren thought for a moment before answering. He still wasn’t hungry, but he wasn’t nauseous anymore. And he knew she was right. He needed to eat something or he would lose all of his strength, and then he probably would get worse. And he didn’t want to worry Nora any more than he already had.

“Yes, I suppose I should,” he nodded quietly.

A tiny smile pulled at the corners of Nora’s lips at the little victory. “Okay,” she said pleasantly, doing her best to keep her naturally excitable voice level. “I can cook up the ramen we have left in the pantry?” 

It was a universally acknowledged truth that Ren would forever be the cook between the two of them. However, Nora’s culinary skills had come a long way since the time she’d nearly set half the apartment ablaze with nothing but a waffle maker.

And so, a few minutes later, Nora handed him a steaming bowl of ramen and plopped down next to him with a bowl of her own. They ate together in easy silence, the sounds of chopsticks clinking against bowls and birds twittering outside filling the quiet. 

The soup was surprisingly quite good, and Ren suddenly felt much lighter. He noted that his headache was almost entirely gone, reduced to a muffled thumping at the back of his head.

Glancing up at Nora, he flashed her a grateful smile. _Thank you._

She returned his smile with a wide grin and playfully knocked his shoulder with her own. _You're Welcome, Silly._

He nudged her back, prompting her to giggle. A light, bubbly sound that made the twinkle in her eyes glow all the brighter. Even after so many years, Ren never tired of seeing her laugh.

He leaned over to press a quick peck to her cheek but as he did so, a flash of queasiness gave him pause.

Eyes widening in alarm, Ren hastily threw off the covers and flew past a confused Nora, bolting into the bathroom. He had just enough time to push the toilet cover back before his stomach upheaved its contents. His knees sank to the tile floor as he retched.

Within seconds, Nora was at his side holding his braid behind his back with one hand, and smoothing the rest of his hair away from his face with the other. He wasn't sure when she'd gotten there, but he was glad she was.

A couple agonizing minutes of dry heaving later, Ren finished and collapsed against the toilet in exhaustion, letting his forehead clunk against the bowl. He found little solace in the cool porcelain against his skin.

A shiver ran through his body and the ceaseless pounding in his head returned with a vengeance. A miserable groan ripped itself past his lips. He was so tired.

"Ren?" he heard Nora say. But his throat ran ragged and dry once more, and all he could manage in response was a hollow croak.

The world spun around him, threatening to reignite another bout of nausea, and Ren knew he stood no chance of getting up off the floor when he couldn't even find the strength to lift his head.

So when he felt Nora's hands wrap around his shoulders and scoop him into her lap, he went without protest. He let his head fall against her shoulder as he shuddered in her arms.

Her form held steady and warm against his own, holding him safe and secure. As her fingers brushed locks of damp raven hair away from his face, Ren's eyelids grew heavy. A part of him was tempted to succumb to the drowsiness and fall asleep right there. But no, he wasn't going to do that. 

With all her strength, he knew Nora wasn't struggling to support his weight, but the logical side of his brain cut through the fog just enough to remind him that she was still probably quite uncomfortable and would not likely appreciate him passing out on top of her on the bathroom floor. 

But he allowed himself to be selfish for just a few moments longer, to steal a couple more seconds of rest, taking comfort from the warmth in Nora’s fingers when they brushed against his skin.

After a moment, Nora tapped his cheek. "Ren? Ren, can you hear me?" The mellow tone she'd been using throughout the day was beginning to strain under her worry and stress.

He fought for the energy to crack his eyes open again and nodded once.

A visible wave of relief washed over her features. 

When he finally sat back up, Nora reached onto the sink counter to grab a cup full of water.

"Wanna rinse your mouth?" she asked, holding it out to him.

He took the cup gratefully and used the remainder of his dwindling energy to wash the taste of bile out of his mouth.

\------

Getting up proved to be a herculean task. As Ren attempted to haul himself up from the floor, the room whirled around him and the ground swayed beneath his feet. His knees buckled under his weight a few times and he would've slumped back onto the floor if it weren't for Nora's arm being looped under his, holding him steady.

Eventually, they made it back to their bed where Nora set him down as gently as possible.

“Lunch was a bad idea, I’m really sorry,” she lamented as she tucked him back under the blanket and handed him the teacup still on the nightstand. 

Ren’s head was still throbbing, but he shook his head as he drank. “No, I’m sorry,” he rasped. The sound made him wince.

She placed a finger gently to his lips “Don’t try to talk. You’ll make it worse,” she chided. “And you have nothing to be sorry for. Everyone gets sick sometimes. You’ve always taken care of me. Now it’s my turn to return the favor.”

Her palm pressed against his forehead, checking again for a fever.

“No," he insisted. "I-I’m sorry we're spending our anniversary like this...I know you were excited about all the other stuff we’d planned..."

Nora’s hand stilled for a moment as she processed what he was saying.

“Oh hush,” she lectured, though her tone was warm and loving. “None of that matters right now. Of course, I could do without you being all sick and miserable, but we're spending it together and that's what matters.”

Ren’s heart swelled a bit at her words, the corners of his mouth turning up in an adoring smile.

She winked at him sweetly before holding the thermometer in front of him, wanting to check his temperature more thoroughly.

“And I’m sure you’ll find some way to make it up to me.”

A weak chuckle escaped him as she popped the little plastic device under his tongue.

When it beeped, Nora pulled it back to read the results. As her eyes glanced over the screen, her face fell in dismay. “You still have a fever.” 

The disappointment must have shown on his face as well because her expression quickly brightened, and she planted a kiss to the top of his head.

“Cheer up,” she said. “Just get some more sleep and I’ll check on you again later.”

She made a move to get up from the bed, though obviously reluctant to leave. But as she did, all of the heat in the room seemed to disappear with her, and the frigid chills crept back under Ren’s skin. 

An alarmingly sharp pang of longing struck through him then. Just having her there, her warmth and her smile, made everything so much more bearable. He attempted to stifle and ignore it as he often did, but even the ever-reliable voice of logic in his mind seemed to disagree. 

_Well,_ _if he didn't stop shivering, he'd never fall asleep. And that didn't exactly bode well for a fast recovery_ it reasoned.

Relenting, Ren mustered all of his strength to reach out and catch Nora’s hand. 

She startled in surprise and then turned back to him. “Oh, sorry! Did you want something?”

His lips formed the words he had no voice to say. “Stay, please?” He gestured weakly to the blanket.

Nora bit her lip hesitantly. He still had a fever. And she knew that she was supposed to be keeping him cool. But how much could it possibly hurt to indulge him? Ren rarely ever asked for this. She was always the one wriggling her way into his embrace or wrapping herself around his back like a sloth.

Any other time, she would've gladly leapt into his arms without a second of forethought. In fact, she would already be under the covers snuggled up with him. But if it raised his fever and he got worse...

His magenta eyes pleaded with her. _Please._

Nora’s heart clenched. Ren was miserable and he needed her, and there was something she could do to help him. There was just absolutely no way she could bear to leave him alone like this. 

Making up her mind, she pulled back the covers and snuggled in next to her husband, drawing him close. She maneuvered their position so that he could lay his head against her chest and her arms wrapped securely around him.

“Tell me what you need,” she whispered.

“Head hurts,” he mumbled into her shirt.

She hummed and tugged lightly on his long braid. “It might let up a little bit if you took this out.”

The idea hadn't even occurred to him. But come to think of it, his tightly wound fishtail braid, now a mesh of inky black knots, had likely been adding heaps of tension to his headache.

He nodded slightly, giving her the okay, and Nora proceeded to undo his braid, slowly and methodically combing her fingers through his hair, straightening out the tangles. 

As she did so, her nails grazed lightly against his scalp, and the thrumming in his head soon began to die down at her rhythmic touch. It felt heavenly. 

Finally comfortable, warm, and content, Ren let the massage slowly lull him to sleep.

\------

Nora’s heart soared as she watched Ren fall asleep. His eyes fluttered shut and his breaths evened out and relaxed, no longer labored and raspy.

For once, his face was completely slack and he looked so peaceful. Nora couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him look so well-rested. She’d do this more often, she decided. Goodness knew he needed it.

Cuddling close, she brushed her lips to his temple. “Happy Anniversary, baby. I love you more than you know,” she whispered before drifting off to sleep herself.

\----------

Ren found himself staring down an endless hallway. He knew these halls. The frigid air, deep blue walls, cool marble floors, and looming archways were all familiar. But he hadn’t seen them in nearly half a decade. The main halls of Atlas Academy.

He scanned his surroundings and found himself entirely alone. Where was Nora? Where was anybody?

A crash came from behind him and Ren whirled around to see a pink parasol barreling towards him. _Neo_ he realized.

Raising StormFlower, which he hadn’t even realized he'd been holding, he fired a round of shots at her.

Neo blocked them easily, but as she ran, Ren spotted his opening. He leapt into the air and aimed his blade.

At the last second though, the parasol pulled back to reveal Nora’s face, her expression one of fear, blue eyes shimmering with hurt and betrayal. 

_No. No no no_. Ren knew what this was. He knew how it ended. This was one of Neo’s tricks and it was not going to work this time.

He brought his blade down and sliced through the illusion. Only instead of knocking Neo off her feet, it merely shattered. Bits of glass clattered around Ren as he fell to the ground. _What? Then where was-_

  
  


An anguished scream rang above him in answer.

  
  


Ren’s eyes snapped up to see Nora dangling from the ceiling. Around her was a thick plume of black smoke. Manghild was nowhere in sight.

Launching his grappling hooks, Ren swung himself upwards towards the ceiling, only to be slammed back onto the floor and pinned by an enormous, gnarly black claw locked on top of his chest. Around him, his aura flashed pink and fizzled away.

With his arms pinned beneath him, Ren struggled to free himself but the claw's grip only grew tighter. Black smoke blurred his vision and stung his eyes as the smell of rot and decay, _the smell of Grimm,_ filled his lungs. He attempted to draw on his semblance but to no avail. His aura was gone.

He yelled for Nora but no answer came. Instead, the smoke directly above him cleared to reveal a face he’d thought himself to be freed from ever seeing again many years ago. 

Glowing, hollow red eyes and devilish horns stared down at him with a twisted, pained expression. 

The Nuckelavee.

The monster did nothing at first. It peered at him almost curiously, its lifeless eyes assessing its latest victim. Ren felt his lip curl into a snarl. 

Then the Nuckelavee extended downward, fragments of weapon and bone protruding from its back, twitching and crackling until hovered right above his face, it’s horns pressed into the ground on either side of his head. 

Ren held his breath as its foul stench washed over him. He glowered at the monster. Its dead eyes stared back.

  
  


And then it shrieked.

  
  


The Nuckelavee’s horrific banshee scream shattered the floor beneath him and Ren found himself hurtling towards the ground. Having lost StormFlower in the commotion, he could only brace himself as he was flung onto the floor. Cobblestones all around him scattered from the impact.

Picking himself up, Ren saw that he was back at Beacon Academy. On the clocktower. Where Pyrrah had died.

Sirens and screams wailed in the distance, and Ren rushed to look over the rails of the tower. There on the ground were students and teachers alike battling hordes of Grimm. His friends were down there. They needed him. He had to go and help. But he had no weapon and no aura. What could he do?

Another ear-splitting shriek rocked him off of his feet. Ren whipped around and found himself facing the Nuckelavee again. It stalked towards him, enormous hooves thundering with each step and blackened, gangly arms dragging on the ground behind it before halted a few feet away. It’s ghastly face considered him once more. 

  
  


And then the dreadful thing spoke. 

  
  


“My, my what do we have here?” cooed a hauntingly familiar voice. 

Ren balked at the monster, terror-stricken, as a chill shot down his spine and clattered through his bones, rattling him to his very core. 

Salem’s voice emitted from the Nuckelavee's serrated jaws.

“What are you doing here boy?” it questioned.

“I...I don’t know,” Ren heard his voice say, though he could not feel his mouth moving. And it wasn’t his voice exactly. It was smaller, shakier, quaking like that of a child.

The creature leered closer. “You should. Didn’t someone once tell you? The worst action one can take is none at all? ”

“My father,” the little voice answered. Ren trembled where he stood.

“Yes,” Salem's voice hissed. “So why, pray tell, are you here? 

"I-I..."

"I'll tell you why," it snarled. 

There was a new voice now and Ren struggled to place it. It was louder, more like a chorus of voices than one. He couldn't hear Salem anymore, but he could hear his mother and his father. He could hear Nora. He could hear his friends. The voices of everyone he'd ever loved were echoing out of the Nuckelavee’s mouth.

"No, no please,” he begged, helpless and desperate.

"You’re a coward and a disappointment,” the monster bellowed as it took a step closer. "It's your fault. "

Ren backed away, turning to run, but his foot caught on a loose cobblestone and he skid across the pavement. 

"You see?" it shrieked. "You run, and you hide, and you do nothing! You are nothing!"

Petrified and frozen, Ren could only watch as a long, feral claw sailed through the air and crashed on top of him. He felt himself scream as the world went up in a cloud of smoke, ash, and shattered glass.

\-------

Ren rocketed up into sitting position as a strangled cry tore from his throat. Terror gripped him like a vice, and his breath caught in his airways, choked and erratic. 

His trembling hands clutched at his heaving chest and then at his head. The blood pounding in his ears was mind-numbingly dizzying and roaring waves of agony lashed against the inside walls of his skull.

A searing pain struck through his chest as his lungs cried out for oxygen and his heart repeatedly bashed itself against his ribs like a manic prisoner against a cell door. 

He had no idea what was happening but it hurt so much, hot tears began spilling down his cheeks.

His eyes then snapped open, only to be swamped with darkness. 

Through his fevered haze of blistering pain, panic, and confusion he thrashed about, grappling for StormFlower, Nora, something, anything.

In an instant, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his middle.

He struggled against them for a second, desperate to wrestle himself free until a voice rang out in the dark.

“Ren!”

One arm released him and then a blinding flash of light caused him to throw his hands back over his face.

A heartbeat later, a pair of hands carefully wrapped around his own and lifted them away from his face to reveal Nora, who had switched on the nightstand lamp, staring up at him, her hair disheveled from sleep and bewildered-alarm flickering across her face. 

Slowly, still heaving, Ren blinked as the world materialized around him. The room was still swimming, but he could see the open door to the bathroom, the shadows cast along the walls by the glow of the lamp, and the sweat-soaked sheets pooling at his waist.

  
  


A shallow sense of dread crept back over Ren and his body grew tense and rigid as he pieced together what had just happened. Still partially dazed, a faint flush of embarrassment washed over him as well.

Throughout his and Nora's many, many years together, nightmares born of the various, bitter tragedies they'd faced over the course of their tumultuous lives had plagued them both. It wasn't uncommon for one of them to seek solace in the arms of the other after unpleasant dreams came to seize them in the night. 

But even when he was the one seeking out Nora during those times, he'd simply let her presence reassure him that they were in no danger and promptly gone back to sleep. He'd never displayed so little self-control. Even when they'd found themselves back in Kuroyuri, all those years ago, when he had let his desire to avenge his family overwhelm him with emotion and drive his actions down such a dangerous path. Ren would always be ashamed of his initial behavior that day, but even then, as misguided, angry, and blinded by grief as he was, he had been in control.

Because he'd made a promise to himself the night he'd met Nora, that he would be the one to give her something steady and sure to hold on to as they braved the hardships to come. He'd be the one to keep a level head under the absolute worst of conditions. That's how he had saved her after all. How he had been able to protect her that night and thus gain the most important person in his life. 

Eyes desolate and face still streaked with tears, his glassy gaze fell back to Nora. Her fingers were still curled around his, but the momentary shock was gone. In its place, her eyes shone with earnest understanding.

Wordlessly, she reached up to wipe away the tear tracks running down his face and cradled his cheek, still wet with tears and perspiration, in her palm. Her touch grounding him back to reality. Glistening in her eyes was everything she'd needed to say. _It's okay, it's just me. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm here for you. Like always._

And with that, the last of his delirium given strength left him. 

Years of rigorously reinforced walls of restraint crumbled within his chest as he collapsed into Nora's waiting arms, burying his nose in the crook of her neck. His fingers clung to her t-shirt and muffled, broken sobs echoed off the walls as Nora enveloped him in a hug, pressing tender kisses along his shoulder.

His breath pulsed in warm puffs against her skin as she held him, running her fingers comfortingly through his hair once more, murmuring sweet reassurances. “It’s okay, it’s over. We’re safe. I'm right here.” 

As the pain in his chest dulled and his tears began to dissipate, love and thankfulness bloomed in Ren's chest for this beautiful, incredible girl who had loved him through the best and worst of times, for almost longer than he could remember. He owed so much of who he was and how far he'd come to her. What would he do if he ever awoke one morning to find she wasn't there? The thought popped into Ren's mind, but he decided not to dwell on it much.

When it was over, and his sobs had lightened into quiet, hiccupy breaths, Nora brought him back down to bed so that they were cuddled around one another, their legs intertwined and their faces inches apart.

“Do you want to talk about your dream?” she asked softly, fiddling with the pink streak in his hair.

Nora always recounted her nightmares to him in great detail as her way of processing and letting them go. But usually, when she asked him this, he gave her brief summaries that told her very little, if anything at all.

This time, however, he told her everything. About Atlas Academy, and Neo, and the Nuckelavee, and Beacon, all of the voices and what they'd said to him, and how terrified he'd been.

When he concluded his retelling, Nora's eyes were glimmering with tears. 

"I'm so so sorry you had to go through all that again," she murmured. "You don't still believe all that, do you? That you're anything close to all that stuff it said about you?" 

Nora had grown familiar with these old fears of his as they learned to communicate better following the events that took place in Atlas and had resolved to work through them together. It had been a long, arduous journey, but they had made it. And it was entirely worth it.

"No." He replied. And he didn't. "I think my fever might have caused them to resurface. It was just overwhelming having to confront it all at once like that."

"Well that's good," Nora affirmed. "Otherwise we'd need to have a serious talk about that." 

Ren agreed solemnly. "They're still deep down there somewhere. I think that in part, they always will be. But they're much quieter now, and I don't believe them most days. Largely thanks to you. Most of it was the fever, I promise."

Nora beamed before reaching up and briefly resting her palm against his forehead once more. “Hmm, speaking of, I think your fever broke.”

Ren relaxed into his pillow as his eyes locked on Nora's. "That's good news."

A spellbinding silence fell over them then, and the two simply held each other's gaze, getting lost in the other’s eyes. Years of love, understanding, and something akin to magic swirling between pink and blue amidst a world of secret conversations.

After a couple beats, Nora tapped her finger lightly to the tip of his nose. “Boop.”

Tears pricked at the corners of Ren's eyes again. “I love you, Nora, ” he breathed, bringing her hand to his lips.

In response, she leaned up to touch a soft kiss to the top of his head “I love you too, Lie.”

Hearts thrumming in sync, the pair drifted into silence once more. Their hearts full with gratitude, love, and astonishment at just how lucky they'd been to find one another.

This had been far from the one year anniversary date they’d been expecting, but that was okay. They were together. Just as it always had been and always would be.

**Author's Note:**

> Look, I sat down to something quick, fluffy, and sweet but I blacked out in front of my laptop and when I came too, I had 13 pages of angst sitting in front of me and it was 5 in the morning. This fic is a testament to my lack of self control when writing angst. Thank you so very much for reading and I hope you have a lovely day! Everyone stay safe and stay home if you can. Comments and constructive criticism would be highly appreciated! <3 <3
> 
> Edits: just some housekeeping edits (typos and phrasing)


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